President Donald Trump has accused activists who want to remove monuments to Confederate generals and other divisive American leaders of conducting “a merciless campaign to wipe out our history, defame our heroes, erase our values and indoctrinate our children.”
Speaking at Mount Rushmore on Friday night, the president said “angry mobs are trying to tear down statues of our founders, deface our most sacred memorials and unleash a wave of violent crime in our cities.”
The pre-holiday address to mark the nation’s independence follows weeks of nationwide protests following the killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis.
Some demonstrators have also destroyed or damaged Confederate monuments and statues honouring those who have benefited from slavery.
“This movement is openly attacking the legacies of every person on Mount Rushmore,” Trump said.
The monument depicts the faces of presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln.
“These heroes will never be defaced. Their legacy will never, ever be destroyed. Their achievements will never be forgotten. And Mount Rushmore will stand forever as an eternal tribute to our forefathers and to our freedom,” President Trump said.
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